Friday the 13th
by Hay Lin La
Summary: Filia expects Xellos to drop by, everyday, at noon. When he doesn't show up for two months, needless to say she is very distressed. During his absence, she got to thinking about a comment he made during the battle with Dark Star.


It had been nearly three months after the defeat of Dark Star. Life went on. Lina and Gourry had gone off in search of more adventures, and nobody thought that the couple needed anymore adventure, but as they say, whatever floats your boat. Amelia had gone home to Seyruun. Zelgadis had went off in search of a cure that seemed to always evade him.

And Filia, she had opened her Mace 'N Vase shop with Gravos and Jilas. In her care, was Valgaav's egg. The only problem was, of course, Xellos. Or so she had thought. Originally, Filia absolutely hated his presence. He stopped by everyday, at noon, for tea. No matter how much she prepared to not be startled by him, he still managed. But Xellos hadn't come back for an entire month and she found herself really lonely.

_I'm ready for you this time, namagomi, _she thought, knowing deep in her heart he wouldn't come, but also praying with every fibre of her soul he would. She waited until two o' clock as always, being wary while handling customers, for the familiar purple headed Mazoku to pop by and scare her half to death.

Gravos and Jilas were well aware of her loneliness, and they also knew they couldn't do a darnedest thing about it. Only Xellos' reappearance at tea time would make her smile again.

"Hey, Boss, where do you want the latest shipment?" Jilas asked, trying to be cheerful as an attempt to keep things, well, cheery.

She snapped out of her trance and pointed to that back room. "Just put them over there and I'll sort through them later."

"Yes, Boss." Jilas frowned at his failed attempt.

That night, Filia stared at the ceiling, vaguely aware of where she was, her only thoughts on the purple headed Mazoku. A mantra echoed throughout her head.

_"Now there's the dragon I love."_

And only one thing echoed back from her own voice deep in her conscience. _Did he mean it?_ Every night, after that thought, she cried herself to sleep.

Another month passed, and no purple headed nuisance showed up.

_He does work under Beastmaster Zelas. What if he was-_ She cut her thoughts off right there. She randomly absently looked at the calendar. _Hmm. Friday the 13th._ She looked through the calendar back to two months ago and looked at the last day she'd seen him. It had also been a Friday the 13th.

At dusk that night, Filia brewed some tea and sat down at the top of a hill nearby her house/store. Deep in her heart, she could feel something good was going to happen tonight. Something good and something bad.

The dragon priestess closed her eyes and sighed. Before she could open them again, a familiar sound came from behind her. It was a small sound that meant someone had phased. In a large wave, she felt the aura of someone she hated, hated and had come to care about. She slowly drew her mace and set her teacup down. About to pound the living daylights out of Xellos, she turned around and immediately froze all the way through to her bones. Laying nearby on the very same grassy hill she was on, was a very sickly looking Xellos, half of him literally missing.

"H-Hello Fi-Filia," he murmured weakly, knowing she would still hear him.

Tears came flowing from her eyes, worse than any that had come from crying herself to sleep over the very same Mazoku that now lay dying.

She went running over to him. "W-What happened?"

"That's..." She was about to get really angry and pound him despite his state. "A really long story."

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly.

"I-I know I won't be living much longer, and I'm not entirely sure why, but I felt the need to see you before I am called back to the nothingness," he weakly explained.

"Now that little pathetic Mazoku Xellos has had his fun, it's time for him to die."

Filia turned to see two very menacing looking Mazoku. She gulped and picked up the mace she'd dropped.

"Are you really going to try and fight us little dragon? That's pathetic."

"You're the reason Xellos is like this aren't you?" she demanded. "AREN'T YOU?"

"Awe! Is li'l dragon girl going to stand up for the big bad bully Mazoku?"

Filia growled in rage. "This isn't a playground, and I am not playing around," Filia told shouted. "If you stupid morons want a real match, you've just found yourselves one. HYAA!" she cried out, swinging her mace at them. It was in that moment, as the two Mazoku ping ponged off the buildings in the village below, that the Monster Race learned not to bug Filia Ul Copt.

Filia returned to Xellos' side.

"Why did you do that?" Xellos asked.

"Because interrupting is rude," she lied as she started to heal him.

"You're trying to save me? I figured you'd, ugh, want to finish the job yourself."

Filia didn't answer and Xellos was starting to wonder if he'd said something wrong.

After a long moment, Filia spoke. "Don't you ever do that again!" Her voice was soft, yet fierce, all mixed in with sorrow.

"Do what, exactly?"

"Stay away for so long. I thought you'd died."

"Do you realize you sound like a cheesy romance novel that I hear Amelia talk about so much?" he asked her.

"I don't care." She finished healing him half an hour later. She wordlessly started to pick up her teacup and teapot to bring them all inside.

"What are you doing, Filia?" Xellos asked, walking over to her and taking the teacup from her.

"Packing up," she replied coldly. "What does it look like?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Filia, is something wrong?" he asked.

"No," she replied.

"Liar," he stated as he stepped in front of her and brushed a tear off her face. "Why are you crying?"

"It's your fault!" she screeched. "It's all your fault that I wait, everyday at noon, for someone who I knew would never come! It's your fault that I cried myself to sleep every bloody night! It's your fault I have nightmares all the time! It's your fault I wake up screaming, drenched in my own sweat! It's all your fault!"

"Filia?" he asked, puzzled.

"Tell me! Tell me what you meant!" she shrieked in frustrated sobs.

"There, there, Filia. No need to cry. What I meant when?"

"The day we fought Dark Star. When you said you loved me. Did you mean it?"

Xellos smiled and cupped her face. She went flush. He leaned his face in, his lips near hers. Her heart was beating ten times faster than normal. She closed her eyes and waited for contact, when Xellos disappeared.

"That, is a secret!"

"GRR!" She grabbed her mace from her garter and threw it futily at the place Xellos' voice had echoed back. Despite her anger, she was the happiest she'd been in two months.

The next day, Filia had slept in a little too late. Until noon, to be exact. She might have slept longer, having pleasant dreams. She might have slept longer and woken to find the shop being taken care of by Gravos and Jilas. None of these things happened. Instead...

Xellos phased into Filia's room at noon. A peaceful look was scrawled across her beautiful features. Xellos floated horizontally above her, then kissed her. Filia's eyes flew open and she screamed at Xellos' lips. He pulled away. "It's time for tea."

Filia just smiled. "Go wait downstairs, namagomi."

And so Friday the 13th became Filia's favorite day.

* * *

Verity- I don't think I've ever seen one fanfic based on those words during the final battle. Like, my gosh people. It just sorta pops out at you. It left a perfectly good fanfic opening.

Lizinzu- Friday the 13th is our favorite day because (not in real life, but in the book Mistress is writing about us) it's a day witches can't die. We call it Witch's Day.

Verity- Unlike Monday the 13th. Illisea decides to call me and tell me it's Demon Day after nearly getting killed twice.

Illisea- How was I supposed to know? Besides that, Please pretty please click the 'Go!' button beside the field that says 'Submit a Review'.


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